THE BUZZ: On a Sunday afternoon, in a lively African American church on Chicago’s South Side where a choir roared, clapped and swayed in unison, and musicians thrashed on drums and guitars, J.B. Pritzker, along with his wife, M.K., stepped on stage.

Monument of Faith Church was the last of five black congregations Pritzker visited Sunday, just two days before the primary election.

How does the billionaire transition the congregation from worship to politics?

This is how: he brings Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, who is among the most popular state pols, beloved by the black community and, as it happens, the godfather to the preacher‘s wife.

White goes first. He tells congregants to not just vote for Pritzker, but to call 10 people to come out and vote.

“I’ve known him for 35 years. I know where his heart is,” White tells the adoring crowd. “I know the art of compromise is within him … We put our support behind J.B.!

“That's right!” a woman shouts back.

It’s only then that Pritzker takes the microphone to make his pitch. He discusses his funding of early childhood education, the meal programs he’s given school kids and how he’s funded the Center on Wrongful Convictions — the same place that’s helped free black men from prison.

“You know what they mean by voter ID laws? They want to keep black and brown people from the polls,” Pritzker says. “They're going to try to keep you away from the polls.You're not going to let them do it are you?”

***

We had the chance to shadow Team Pritzker for part of his Sunday tour through Chicago, which focused on the city’s South Side, before ending up at a progressive campaign phone bank in Lakeview. Pritzker has spent a record-shattering $70 million in the primary with $34 million of that going toward TV ads, according to Advertising Analytics.

Pritzker defends the spending, saying he thinks Illinois is worth the investment and notes he’s been the subject of millions of dollars in attack ads by Gov. Bruce Rauner. Pritzker, of course, has also had to overcome a series of negative storylines, including being caught on tape with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, referring to White as the “least offensive” of three politicians considered for a U.S. Senate seat appointment as well as accusations that he’s too cozy with Democratic Party chair Michael Madigan.

Pritzker calls his spending an investment in a statewide Democratic Party infrastructure, clinging to some promise that Democrats will reappear in greater numbers in the 101 counties outside of Cook.

Pritzker talks of a recent visit to Downstate Jasper County, even though there are barely 1,000 registered Democrats there. “People in the county feel, ‘wow, Democrats are competing here.’” Looking back to the 2014 race that Gov. Pat Quinn lost to Bruce Rauner, he said: “The Democratic Party of Illinois was not running in 102 counties.”

“Look at Brendan Kelly who is running in the seat against (12th district U.S. Rep. Mike) Bost. I mean, who would have ever thought that seat would flip? I think that’s gonna flip. I do, I absolutely do,” Pritzker said. “I’ve seen the enthusiasm … I’m trying to make sure they show up on Tuesday but I’m also trying to make sure they’re ready for November.”

Ending his day at a Northwest side campaign office, Pritzker told a couple dozen volunteers, which included Personal PAC’s Terry Cosgrove, Ald. Tom Tunney and state Reps. Greg Harris and Sara Feigenholtz, the latest stats: 37,000 doors knocked on last weekend, 130,000 phone calls made over the weekend and in the final three weeks of the election, campaigners have knocked on more than 100,000 doors. “I don’t think anybody’s done that for many many years,” Pritzker tells the volunteers.

“There’s a real palpable excitement, to be honest with you, about bringing change to the state of Illinois,” Pritzker tells his supporters.

That’s about when William McNary, of Citizen Action Illinois, walked up to Pritzker and handed him the phone. In the course of making calls, McNary came across an undecided voter so he asked Pritzker to jump on and make a personal pitch. He did.

“Are you with him now?’” McNary asked the person on the phone, who said Pritzker won him over. “JB,” McNary smiled. “The closer.”

Of course, Chris Kennedy and Daniel Biss were out in force on Sunday: — “At a church stop on the South Side, Kennedy was introduced by WVON radio’s Pam Morris-Walton as someone who “tells the truth.” “You know his family. You know his sense. You know his values. As he speaks it sounds a little different. It’s more honest. It’s more candid and sometimes I got to say, it’s more raw. But what I love about Chris Kennedy is the truth is not always easy to hear, but he always tells the truth,” said Morris-Walton, who traveled with Kennedy throughout his five church stops,” the Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles reports. “Kennedy invoked former Mayor Harold Washington at a South Side church, saying he celebrated the things ‘that brought everybody together,’ and “the things that make us unique,” like bringing the gospel fest to the city.

“Biss told Rockford churchgoers he’s running ‘because there is nothing we cannot do as a people.’ ‘We’ve been told for so very, very long that it’s not possible to ask the wealthy to pay their share so we can fund our schools. We know that it’s not possible, yet that’s what we’re going to change,” Biss said. “We know we’ve been told it’s not possible that everyone can have have access to health care. We’ve been told that’s too expensive. We’ve been told that it’s too hard. We’ve been hearing that for years.” Story here

TODAY: Rep. Joe Kennedy III will be in Chicago to boost his uncle Chris Kennedy. The congressman will make a series of stops, including along 26th street in Pilsen, where Ald. Ricardo Munoz will join him in meeting local business owners. Kennedy will be on a statewide tour then returns to Chicago to join Jesus ‘Chuy‘ Garcia’s GOTV event.

— “Millions of dollars’ worth of TV ads later, governor candidates now need people to vote,” by Chicago Tribune’s Rick Pearson, Monique Garcia and Patrick M. O’Connell: “Like Chicago’s downtown on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, a river of green has flowed through TV sets ahead of Tuesday’s primary vote, as governor candidates have spent tens of millions of dollars on advertising during the long campaign. The frenzied final weekend of in-person campaigning supplements the nearly $65.7 million spent by governor candidates and interest groups on TV commercials so far. The contest could become the most expensive race to be Illinois’ chief executive in state history. That TV spending total — in just the primary — is more than the record $65.3 million Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner spent on his entire 2014 campaign.” Story here

That’s a reference back to our scoop last week that the DGA was meddling in the election with a sizeable, last-minute TV buy. From our story: “According to Advertising Analytics, as of Thursday evening the DGA is set to spend at least $451,000 to air the ads from Friday through Tuesday, the date of the GOP primary. Each ad is going to be running in “significant rotation,” said a DGA official who declined to specify whether one ad would run more often than the other.It’s unclear how much impact the DGA’s ad will have at at time when it’s competing on incredibly congested airwaves. The governor’s race alone has seen more than $55 million in TV ad spending. For his part, Rauner himself has poured millions of dollars into meddling in the Democratic primary, financing attack ads hitting Democratic front-runner J.B. Pritzker.”

Rauner’s camp quickly released its own response ad by Friday morning. And Republicans have been hammering the DGA over their move, saying the group should file an in-kind contribution for Ives.

For her part, state Rep. Jeanne Ives plans a news conference today to “address the latest left-wing groups to meddle in the GOP primary to aid and abet Bruce Rauner.”

— “The biggest Republican megadonor you’ve never heard of” by POLITICO’s Maggie Severns: “It’s the latest example of Uihlein’s burgeoning role as one of the most influential, but still little-known, political donors in the country. His early six- and seven-figure contributions to emerging Republican candidates, and penchant for disruptive politics, have been crucial to building a raft of anti-establishment Republicans seeking to emulate Donald Trump's formula for success during this year’s midterm elections...Uihlein and his wife Elizabeth are currently the biggest Republican donors of the 2018 midterm elections, having given $21 million to candidates for federal office and super PACs that will support them. And that doesn’t include their funding of state candidates, like Ives.“ Story here

— “Donald Trump’s other attorney general problem,” by POLITICO’s Natasha Korecki: “Turn on any TV in Illinois and you’ll see ads from a slew of candidates for state attorney general who are vowing to battle a notorioustyrant, a racist fear-monger whom they view as a threat to democracy itself. They’re talking about Donald Trump. In the state’s first primary election of the Trump era, the president has turned the race to be Illinois’ top lawyer upside down, with the traditional focus on consumer protection, law enforcement and legislation taking a backseat to promises to fight tooth-and-nail against Trump. The eight Democrats running for the party nomination in this solidly Democratic state have tapped Trump as the boogeyman in campaign material, debates and TV ads, promising to serve as the tip of the spear in a war against the White House.” Story here

— “Column: Faith in each other the biggest factor carrying Loyola into Sweet 16,” by Chicago Tribune’s David Haugh: “The growing national celebrity of Loyola’s 98-year-old chaplain — a petition circulated Sunday to get Sister Jean on “Ellen” — only deepened the impression that somehow the Ramblers’ prayers get answered first. Even Loyola guard Clayton Custer, Saturday’s hero who hit the game-winner with 3.6 seconds left, reinforced that notion by thanking the basketball gods for a lucky bounce. Basketball and religion go hand in hand on the Rogers Park campus, as they always should, but lest anyone forget, the players showing faith in each other carried Loyola to the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 1985 more than any other factor. It’s fun to watch how a team that prays together stays together when games get tight, but be careful not to overlook Loyola evolving into more than just a divinely blessed bunch of Ramblers. ” Story here

CHICAGO

— “Running tab for DOJ investigation of CPD: $7.4 million and counting,” by Chicago Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman: “The running tab for legal and consulting fees tied to the U.S. Justice Department’s investigation of the Chicago Police Department has now reached $7.4 million — and Mayor Rahm Emanuel is still negotiating a consent decree with retiring Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. The cost, up from $5.7 million in August, is certain to rise even higher as invoices and expenses get submitted, negotiations with Madigan drag on, and the city defends itself against a class-action lawsuit filed by lawyers for Black Lives Matter Chicago and other community groups seeking federal oversight over the CPD.” Story here

— “CPS reviewing Whitney Young dean’s ‘disturbing’ comments on Trayvon Martin,” by Chicago Sun-Times’ Rachel Hinton: “Chicago Public Schools officials are investigating a series of videos showing a dean at Whitney Young Magnet High School making racially charged comments deemed “disturbing” by a district spokesman. One video recorded by a student and posted to Instagram captures Dean of Students John Fanning suggesting a defense of George Zimmerman, who fatally shot African-American teenager Trayvon Martin in a gated Florida community in 2012.” Story here

— “Amazon HQ2 search team visiting Chicago March 21-22,” by Crain’s Chicago Business’ Greg Hinz and Michael Arndt: “A search committee from e-commerce giant Amazon will be in Chicago during the middle of next week as part of its hunt for a location for a second headquarters that the company says will employ up to 50,000 jobs. According to sources close to the matter, the company will meet with local civic and corporate leaders, likely on Wednesday and Thursday, March 21-22, and tour a handful of proposed locations in the central area of the city.” Story here

— “What’s making traffic worse in Chicago? Signs point to Uber, Lyft,” by Mark Guarino for Crain’s Chicago Business: “Gridlock in Chicago is getting worse, according to a traffic analysis performed exclusively for Crain's by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University. Based on traffic data provided by the city, the analysis finds a citywide vehicle slowdown of 2.4 percent between 2013 and 2017. In 2013, the average speed was 24.65 mph; it was 24.07 in 2017. The slower speeds impacted 27 of the city's 29 traffic regions last year, and in some areas the slowdown was more than double the city average.” Story here

COOK COUNTY

— “15 got promotions from Court Clerk Dorothy Brown within 6 months of donations,” by Chicago Sun-Times’ Robert Herguth and Tanveer Ali: “More than a dozen employees of Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown’s office and their family members made campaign contributions to Brown within six months of getting a promotion and pay raise, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis has found. In all, 15 workers and their families made a total of more than 50 campaign contributions to Brown in the six months before or after receiving promotions in the circuit court clerk’s office, the analysis of county payroll and state campaign contribution records shows.” Story here

AROUND THE COLLARS

— “For ‘Black Panther’ fans, what to know about the suburban hamlet of Wauconda,” by Chicago Tribune’s Christopher Borrelli: “When we last left the kingdom of Wauconda, its doors were opening to the world, and its rulers were explaining, to anyone who listened, that they no longer stood in the shadows. Disguised for too long as a modest village hidden by forest preserves, tall grasses and lakes, with seemingly little to offer, Wauconda, its king and his advisers began a charm offensive: Wauconda was officially welcoming outsiders, businesses, tourists — frankly, they were just thrilled you noticed! Also, they didn’t have a lot of choice: Thirty days ago, after the Marvel blockbuster ‘Black Panther’ premiered, the media rushed to Wauconda, to point out that Wauconda, IlI., sounds like the fictional Wakanda in Africa.” Story here

— “Brookfield Zoo initiative aims to make visits by children with disabilities easier,” by ABC 7 Chicago’s Hosea Sanders and Marissa N. Isang: “Brookfield Zoo's initiative, called ‘Zoo for All,’ is making sure families with children of with disabilities can take part in all that the zoo has to offer. To help make visits more inclusive, new zoo additions include an inclusion resource center and family room at the Hamill Family Play Zoo. Each space is designed to offer families sensory-friendly fun.” Story here

DELEGATION

— “Durbin blasts Trump for ‘desperate and reckless conduct,’” by POLITICO’s Louis Nelson: “President Donald Trump is ‘engaged in desperate and reckless conduct’ against the law enforcement entities investigating his 2016 campaign, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin said Sunday morning, actions that should push Congress to take steps to protect the office of special counsel Robert Mueller.” Story here

— “Hillary Clinton ‘wrong’ about Trump voters, Durbin says,” by POLITICO’s Louis Nelson: “Hillary Clinton’s remarks earlier this month characterizing voters who cast ballots for President Donald Trump as xenophobic and misogynistic are ‘not helpful at all,’ Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin said Sunday, insisting that the Democratic Party is moving beyond Clinton as it approaches the midterm elections. Speaking at a conference in India, Clinton said her success in the 2016 election came in parts of the U.S. that are economically strong, ‘optimistic, diverse, dynamic, moving-forward’ while Trump won more downtrodden regions. ‘His whole campaign, ‘Make America Great Again,’ was looking backward,’ she said.” Story here

— “For first time, Trump aims at Mueller,” by POLITICO’s Andrew Restuccia, Brent D. Griffiths and Darren Samuelsohn: Story here

— “Republicans warn Trump to back off Mueller,” by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney: Story here

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